While SAR trains all members in basic rescue skills like rope systems, basic emergency medicine and tracking, not all SAR members will ever climb 5.12 rock, ski 70 degree slopes, or run for miles to clear trail.

When we need specialized skills, we rely on our special teams.

SAR special teams consist of team members with experience and training in areas including:

Cave

Communications/Radio

Dive (SCUBA)

ELT (downed aircraft)

Fleet

Flat Ice

K9

Mass Casualty

Medical

Mountain Rescue Team

Open Water

Singletrack (motorcycles)

Swiftwater

Tracking

Many SAR teams around the nation only require a few special skills. Other teams may only call members when their specific expertise is needed. One enjoyable aspect of participating on the Utah County SAR team is the need for various exciting skills and the opportunity to learn basic or advanced skills in as many fields as the member wants.

Each team has a sergeant tasked with organizing trainings for all interested team members to keep up on skills and teamwork, keeping up to date on rescue techniques and gear, and submitting budget requests for team gear and training as needed.

5 Responses to “Special Teams”

Dear SAR, I am very interested in your K9 unit. I am adept at training and working with dogs. I have a personal history of training hunting dogs, both pointers and retrievers. I was also a member of NAVHDA (North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association). Now I would like to put my ability to good use. Please contact me with as much information as possible.

I’ll pass your message along to our K9 special team. We have several dog handlers who practice on a regular basis and have been used extensively for avalanche recoveries and other missions.

Our team interviews annually in October for new members, then trains them while they participate actively during the following year. We can always use a few more dedicated members, especially with special skills like yours. You can find an application form on the http://www.ucssar.org website.

All have good people in them. All of them have different criteria for both you and your dog. There are fewer and fewer call outs as people use GPS and cell phones.

There is also a FEMA canine handler position (collapsed buildings, disaster) through Utah’s Task Force 1. They usually accept applications in January. They require that you be an EMT prior to applying. Some years they hire and some years they don’t.